Write a commentThe Mexico Academy & Central School’s varsity boys cross country team has been blazing a path all season, and it’s lead to a class title and placing eighth overall in the state.
Bolstered by a lineup of all-league runners Aiden Bartlett, Collin Fitzgerald, Logan Fitzgerald, Kadrian Johnson and Simeon O’Neil, the Tigers won the Section III Class C championship, with Collin Fitzgerald finishing fifth overall at the sectional meet.
The team earned a spot at the state meet, where Collin Fitzgerald placed 47th, O’Neil was 78th and Logan Fitzgerald finished in 82nd for top 100 finishes at the state level. Johnson (103rd) and Bartlett (108th), in addition to Tiger runners Braydon Beasley (113th) and Aiden Silverio (126th) finished just outside the top 100 in the entire state.
Head Coach Joseph Deckman said watching this team grow has been one of the highlights of his entire career as a varsity cross country coach.
“I hope that these boys learned the value of teamwork over individual success, and that they apply the victories they have accomplished toward becoming not only better runners, but more empathetic humans that thrive off of a team-oriented mentality,” said Deckman.
Collin Fitzgerald, Logan Fitzgerald, Johnson and Bartlett all earned First-Team All-League honors, while O’Neil was honored with Second-Team All-League status.
In the Class C sectional race, Mexico finished first out of 14 teams, paced by freshman Collin Fitzgerald in fifth at 16:44. Senior Logan Fitzgerald crossed next in 12th place, followed by Johnson (16th), Bartlett (20th) and O’Neil (26th), all three of whom are underclassmen and can return to the team next fall.
The team had a tremendously successful regular season, Deckman said, with the team earning first place at the League Meet in Marcellus, second at the ESM Invitational, third at the Baldwinsville Invitational, sixth at the EJ Herman Invitational, first at the Tully Invitational, third at the Chittenango Invitational and first at the Marcellus Invitational. The Tigers also won all of their dual meets, earning the league title.
The Tigers girls varsity cross country team also qualified one runner to the state meet, as Aubrey Herrington placed ninth at the Sectional race. She finished in the top half of the state Class C race at 52nd.
The team’s assistant coach is Danielle Spicer.
